‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.’ Psalm 91:1
More thoughts to follow my previous post on daring to be happy in the Lord… Psalm91:1 is such a simple verse, yet one that speaks volumes! To me, this verse reveals the key to peace and happiness in Jesus. There is a simple condition set out, which is to “dwell in the shelter of the Most High” – i.e. is God the Most High in your life? Or do you find something else when you look up? Are you setting your priorities in life on things other than the Lord – e.g. your career, family, sports, money, even health? The word “dwells” means “to live with” or “to reside” which indicates a daily/continual existence. Do we constantly put him at the highest place in our lives?
So can anyone really “dwell” with the Lord on a daily, continual basis? I believe so, there are many examples of such people in the bible, like David – just look at how he pours his heart out to God in the book of Psalms. I must confess I still struggle with this, in the hustle and bustle of daily life at work and with the family; it is easy to forget to live as Jesus would – especially when I feel like I am being unfairly treated and the ol’ hackles start rising. :) However, I am now convinced that the key to dwelling with the Lord is simply to spend time with Him daily. Even as I strive to develop the Intentional Discipline of daily quiet time with the Lord, I find that more and more, He is drawing me to Him, and helping me to “dwell” with Him on a daily/continual basis. As with all things with the Lord, we just have to make the commitment and act in faith, and Praise be to Him, our God does the rest!
When you fulfill the condition of dwelling in Him, the promise is beautiful. The word translated as “Almighty” is actually “Shaddai”, which means (don't laugh) "the breasted One". This imagry is only funny when we forget that God made both men and women in His image (Genesis 1:27). So why did God call Himself “Shaddai”? I believe He is alluding to His motherly love for us. The next time you feel threatened/upset/depressed/unloved or unhappy for whatever reason, remember that our Lord promises that when we dwell in Him, He lets us find rest and safety in His embrace, and when God is holding you in His arms, NOTHING can snatch you away.
PRAISE GOD!
No comments:
Post a Comment